Stop, Drop & Roll
We use to have a guy stop by the shop only when he was looking to get something fixed for free. He went to school with one of the guys, so we tolerated him stopping by for freebies. On this day we told him it would be a few minutes before we would get to his starting problems, so he thought he would get a start on the job. This was 20-plus years ago, so I do not remember if he was connecting a charger or tester to his battery when the battery exploded. Instant panic set in after the battery acid sprayed all over his face. And before we could even get to him, he was already running out the door screaming at the top of his lungs and dove head-first into what he thought was a foot of snow drift, which was actually our scrap iron pile. We were all in panic mode until we got him back in the shop and realized the acid did not go into his eyes and his only injury was a 3-inch cut on his forehead from the sailor dive into the scrap pile.
He never came back to the shop, but we did read in the local paper that this guy was peeping in windows and the woman identified him by a 3- to 4-inch scare on his forehead. I swear on the health of my big-block Corvette that this is a true story.
Dan Lewis
Berlin Heights, OH
Firing Order
My first time changing plugs and wires, my dad told me to try, and if I had a problem he would help. I went outside and snatched those plug wires off faster than Ron Capps can hit the 60-foot mark. Changed the plugs. So far so good. Time for the wires. Guess I'll see what the instructions have to say. Hmm, don't cross the wires. OK, I'll try not to.
After much frustration I eventually headed into the house. I tell my dad, "There's no freakin' way. It can't be done. It's impossible." You can't run eight plug wires from the plugs to the distributer cap and not cross them.
He says he needs to see what I'm talking about, so we went outside. I have eight wires attached to eight plugs. I tell him in order to run these wires all to the same cap, they have to cross each other somewhere along the way. "You knucklehead," he says. "It means don't put them on the wrong terminal."
"How do I know which terminal they go on?"
He responded with, "Try doing one at a time."
Wow, Dad is a genius! We got the wires straightened out and I learned 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.
Tony Mullins
Sealy, TX
Give us a shout, ask some questions, or tell us how great we are. Send emails to: chevyhi@sorc.com.
Rooster Call
Sean Haggai
Shoot! That wasn't my exact word, but it did begin with the letter S. Yup, that's exactly what I said to myself along with some other expletives right after Henry D walked into my office and told me I was to shoot the next car feature. To be completely honest, I'm a bit scared to complete a full car shoot by myself. Luckily though, it is with fellow racers, and the guys who run the car are good friends of mine. I am sure the whole gang will be there peering over my shoulder telling me that what I am doing is wrong--just to give me a hard time. However, the pressure is still on and I can't let these guys down. Nor can I let Henry down. I would hate to see my first car feature become a complete flop and a washout. Yes, this one is all on me. I'm going to do my best to combine all the little things I've learned and tried to absorb from the masterful Henry D when it comes to camera settings, angles, and the magical Golden Hour, which produces the perfect amount of light (soft shadows) just before the sun sets. I guess I'll know for sure how much I have been able to retain when the photo shoot day comes 'round later this week.